It was Monica’s legs that caught my eye, the way they peeked out from underneath her dress. At the angle I was, I could almost see up it, and I was caught in a moment of indecision about whether to stand because suddenly all I wanted was to see just a little bit further. To see if she was as pink and sexy as I had imagined at night when she plagued my thoughts.
She saw. Monica’s eyes narrowed as she looked at me, figuring out exactly where I had been looking, and anger flared on her face. It was the first emotion that she had shown—pure and utter fury. Her friends were still egging her on, begging her to smash my most precious possession, and as I watched, her face turned into a cruel smile.
“Monica,” I begged. “Please. Don’t.”
She did it anyway. I was on my feet in a second but I wasn’t fast enough. She threw it with horrifying force into the street, and I watched as it splintered apart into pieces. Her friends cheered and then laughed, and I felt cold steel and anger grow in my chest.
For the briefest of seconds, I thought I saw regret on her face. But it was only for a second as her friends pulled her away, and in the next moment one of them said something that had them all laughing.
It served me right, I remember thinking. I should never have been fooled by her beauty. Monica Blast was my nemesis. It was pure and simple. She was a bully in beautiful packaging and I needed to always remember that. Stuck-up rich princess, and the biggest bitch I had ever known. My enemy. My bully. And in my limited experience, I had found that bullies didn’t change.
2
Monica
Don’t panic. Do. Not. Panic.
I take a deep breath, in and out to calm my beating heart. I just lost that hand, but I have enough money for a couple more if I play my cards right. Literally. And then I’ve got nothing. My whole life I’ve been told about beginner’s luck, and I can’t think of a time that I needed it more. Turns out, beginner’s luck is absolute horseshit.
But never let them see you sweat, right? Pretend you’re at a pageant. When I used to walk the stage in beauty pageants, poise was everything. It didn’t matter if you tripped or weren’t perfect, as long as you were poised. I can do that now. I flash a brilliant smile at the dealer as he deals the cards. The dress I’m wearing is one of my pageant gowns from years past. I found it in one of the boxes and decided to take it for one last spin before I try to sell it. It doesn’t fit anymore since I’m thinner from skipping meals and I no longer wear the ankle-breaking heels that are meant to be worn with it.
Sitting in a box hasn’t exactly done the dress any favors either, but it’s good enough to get by, and that’s all I need right now. “How are you tonight?” I ask the dealer. Not to distract him or anything, but because it’s easier for me to conceal my nerves if I’m talking.
“I’m doing well,” he says quietly. Hands move deftly over the cards as he deals. I peek at my hand, and my heart sinks. It’s a two and a three. Not exactly what you want when you’re trying to win big.
But maybe not everything is lost, because the card that lands face up on the table is a six. Okay. Okay. Possible straight. I just smile like I’ve got everything I want in the world, even though I have absolutely nothing. Nothing.
The next card on the table is a four. Holy shit. I mean…it could be. Someone folds, but I don’t. It could be that famous beginner’s luck kicking in. The universe knows how much I need it. The money I have sitting in front of me is all that I have left, and it’s not enough to pay any of the bills that are hanging over my head. But if I won this. That at least would be a start.
Across the table, a man stops to observe the game. He’s standing in the shadows, but even from here, I feel a hitch in my chest. He’s gorgeous. Dark suit that clings to him like it was tailored within an inch of its life—and in a place like this, it probably was. Broad shoulders and trim waist and enough stubble on his jaw to give an air of insolence even if he’s put together like a perfectly designed package.
He’s watching our table. Actually, he’s watching me. I pretend not to notice and turn on my most brilliant smile. I’ve got this. This is my hand. I’m going to win it. The universe owes me that much. When the bet comes to me, I push my chips forward. “All in.”